Door for airship hangars



June 29, 1937. w s o 2,085,241

noon FOR AIRSHIP HANGARS Filed April 15, 1935 2 eets-Sheet 1 June 29, 1937. WASILKQWSK] 2,085,241

DOOR FOR AIRSHIP HANGARS Filed April 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 29, 3937 UNITED S'iA'i'ES PATENT OFFICE Application April 15, 1935, Serial No. 16,447 In Poland April 21, 1934 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved construction of doors for airship-hangars which has the advantages of being extremely light, cheap to manufacture and easy to operate.

A construction embodying the features of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic front view of the improved door,

Fig. 2 a diagrammatic sectional elevation showing also the end 23 of the airship-hangar,

Fig. 3 a front View partly in section of the end Wall of the hangar, the left hand half of the opening being shown closed by means of the improved door.

Fig. 4 is a plan view from above corresponding to Fig. 3 and showing a horizontal section through the end of the airship-hangar.

The door consists of a ring 7 (Figs. 1 and 2) adapted to resist compression and opening stresses, said ring being stifiened by tension members s, s which may be steel rods. These tension members are fixed with the outer ends to the ring 1', the inner ends of the rods being fixed to the ends of a centrally arranged horizontal beam k. This beam is adapted to be extended longitudinally for the purpose of spanning the tension members 8, e. g. by means of screws or the like. The tension members 8 can also be spanned by means of a nave movable on the beam is, which nave may be pushed towards the end of the beam 10. b indicates a watertight fabric skin or like member which covers the area Within the ring; it is fixed in the centre to the beam is, and is attached in a watertight manner upon its whole periphery to the ring r by any suitable means.

The ring (Fig. 3 and Fig. 4) leans with its upper and middle portions against the wall of the hangar. In the section a, the ring bears against movable door Wings at which are adapted to swing about vertical axes i or to be pushed aside.

The wind causes in the fabric skin I) and tie rods s, radial tension stresses which cause a concentric compression in the outer ring 1. At the same time the ring r is pressed by the wind against the wall.

The ring 1 of the door, may, according to the shape of the hangar, be circular, elliptical, oval, or of a similar shape.

The ring is supported at the ends of the central rod it upon struts, g, 9', which cross each other (Fig. 2) and rest with the lower ends each upon a carriage w, the two carriages running upon a suitable circular rail track 25. The struts g. g are connected by tension members 0, c, n. It will thus be seen that the supporting structure consists in a trapeze in which the struts g, g form the diagonals, whilst the tension members c, c, n and the beam it constitute the periphery. The struts g, g are so constructed at their cross section point that they can take up bending moments at right angles to the plane of the trapeze. (The trapeze is secured against falling by the stiff rod h.)

The guide rails which form the track upon which the whole door moves, form a circle and are anchored in the ground. The supporting frame g, c, 12 with the whole door may be moved sideways about the vertical axis I for instance by M an electromotor c with cog-wheels because the stiff rod h is anchored in the ground by means of a revolving bearing 0 which is situated in the centre of the circular track t.

I claim:

1. A door for airship-hangars, comprising in combination: an outer ring; radial spanned tension members stiffening and compressing said ring; and a central beam for spanning said radial tension members.

2. A door for airship-hangars, comprising in combination: an outer ring; radial spanned tension members stiffening said ring; a central beam for spanning said radial tension members; a supporting frame upon which the said central beam is mounted; and a track upon which said supporting frame is adapted to travel by means of carriages.

3. A door for airship-hangars, comprising in combination: an outer ring; radial spanned tension members stiffening said ring; a central beam for spanning said radial tension members; a supporting frame upon which the said central beam is mounted; a track upon which said supporting frame is adapted to travel by means of carriages, said track being circular; and a stiff rod anchored in the ground in the center of the said circular track and securing the said supporting frame against falling.

FRANCISZEK WASILKOWSKI. 

